Democrat Conor Lamb, battling for a congressional seat in culturally conservative southwestern Pennsylvania, has embraced a rare campaign tactic among members of his party: avoid heavy criticism of President Donald Trump

Pennsylvania voters went to the polls Tuesday in a special election widely seen as a major test for President Donald Trump and a Republican Party fighting to maintain its control of the US Congress.

Democrat Conor Lamb, a former federal prosecutor and US Marine officer, has run a surprisingly strong race against Republican state representative Rick Saccone as they battle to fill a vacant congressional seat for District 18, the working-class southwestern corner of the Keystone State.

Turnout appeared to be high for a special election, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, citing poll workers.

Trump, who won the district by more than 20 points in his 2016 presidential race, endorsed Saccone and made an 11th hour campaign stop with the candidate.

But Lamb's unexpectedly strong performance in Trump country -- the race was considered a toss-up going into Tuesday -- underscored the challenges that Republicans face as they prepare to defend their majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives in November's all-important mid-term elections.

The party occupying the Oval Office tends to lose seats in the first mid-terms after winning the presidency.

With chaos swirling in the White House, Trump's approval rating under water, and a special prosecutor investigating potential collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, Democrats are counting on a domino effect at the polls to send them back to power in Congress.

Republican organizations have poured millions of dollars of outside money into the race in the hopes of dragging Saccone across the finish line and signalling that their position ahead of the mid-terms is not as precarious as Democrats suggest.

In District 18, several of Trump's campaign promises have resonated with voters -- in particular, his call for restricting immigration, supporting gun rights, and bringing back jobs in the coal and steel industries.

When you have any queries relating to where by as well as how to work with click the following website, it is possible to email us in our web-page.